


Yama no Kami

by Dragestil



Series: Bows and Bullets [7]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Hanzo is a God, Lone Wolf Hanzo Shimada, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-03-08 06:15:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13452252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragestil/pseuds/Dragestil
Summary: Jesse McCree has always been interested in the unknown. When he hears rumours of a forbidden mountain and its terrifying but unknown guardian, he can't help but investigate. But what will the lord of the mountain make of this intruder? What will Jesse uncover amongst the trees?





	1. A Night in the Woods

**Author's Note:**

> If you would like to see more of my work or request a fic, please visit my [Tumblr](http://dragestil.tumblr.com)

“Fear the mountains,” they always said. “Fear the cliffs and the forests and the wolves that roam at night. The mountains are no place for people.”

But Jesse McCree had never been much for listening to town gossip, even gossip that had become largely regarded as fact amidst the locals. There were secrets in the mountains, and if there was anything he craved more than the adrenaline of an adventure, it was the intrigue of a long-kept secret. As soon as he had heard the legend of the wolf of the mountains, he had known exactly where next he would set his sights. He prepared as quickly but efficiently as possible. He didn’t know what he might encounter out on the mountain, so he tried to cover his bases thoroughly. He packed at least a week’s worth of food, and told himself he would follow the stream that ran down from the peaks to supply himself with a consistent source of freshwater. After three days of preparation, at last he felt equipped to take on the supposedly deadly mountain. He didn’t bother telling anyone in town. He knew they wouldn’t go searching for a stranger in a place they considered perilous anyway.

It wasn’t far from the edge of town to the tree line. He followed his promised path, keeping to the left bank of the river as he crossed into the forest. The trees around him were old and weathered. Even the youngest trees were clearly far older than him. They blotted out the majority of the sunlight, and what little was left spread dappled patterns across the leaf litter covering the ground. Birds chirped and whistled in the canopy high over head, and occasionally he could make out the scurrying of small creatures through the undergrowth. Otherwise, though, it was remarkably quiet. He was glad that the soft soil of the riverbank largely muffled his footsteps. It seemed wrong to disturb this ancient stillness. He couldn’t understand how anyone could find this terrifying.

He walked on for hours, continuing to follow the water as the ground began to slope upward, and the sunlight filtering through the branches above began to dim. He began looking for a good place to set up camp for the night. He had snacked during his walk, but proper hunger was beginning to set in, and he was craving a comfortable place to settle down and relax for a while. As the first owls began to hoot and call to each other, he found a nice, large tree with thick, gnarled roots. It was several feet from the water, and the roots provided not only a good-sized place to settle in and arrange his bedding, but also a small sort of barrier should any creatures come to the river in the night to drink. He would be safe, he felt, as long as he kept his fire burning steadily. He didn’t even flinch when he heard distant howls echoing through the trees.

Jesse did not fear wolves. He did not fear any living thing. He had seen death, in companions he had lost and in too-close encounters with his own mortality. Besides that, animals rarely hunted for sport, and generally stuck to prey they recognised and knew they could take down without much extra effort. If humans were a rarity up here, the predators would likely have little fear of or interest in him, he wagered. He was just some two-legged beast with command of fire. Attacking him would surely be more work than it was worth. And even if it was worth it, he would not entertain the notion at all. Part of fearlessness was convincing yourself of your safety regardless of the situation, and he had gotten quite adept at that.

It didn’t take long to set up camp. There was plenty of dry material to use as kindling and his trusty lighter was perfect for getting the fire going quickly. He carefully nestled his sleeping bag between the roots of the tree before pulling out his rations for his first night. He relaxed against the trunk of the tree as he took in the sounds of the night surrounding him. It felt good, peaceful, being this far away from everything and everyone. In town and on the road, you always had to worry about other people and all their peculiarities and unpredictability. Out here, natural law ruled over all. It was hard to really know your place in society, but Jesse knew exactly where he stood in nature. The birds, the mice, the wolves even, all lived and acted out their usual roles regardless of whether he was there or not. He was, in many ways, insignificant, and he took comfort in that. It was nice to have no one’s expectations weighing him down.

As darkness spread across the forest, he stifled a yawn and slipped into his sleeping bag. The fire had enough fuel to burn for a while yet, and he knew he would wake up at least once just out of habit, giving him a chance to add more tinder and make sure it didn’t go completely out. The wolves were still howling, their calls echoing from seemingly all sides, but he remained at ease. Tonight didn’t _feel_ like the night he would die, so he wrote off worrying about such things. It didn’t take long at all for him to drift into comfortable, warm sleep, cosy between the roots of an ancient tree.

It was deep into the night when Jesse awoke to the concerning sound of _breathing_ far too close to his head for comfort. By the dim light cast by his dying fire, he made out not one or two wolves, but _many_ surrounding his campsite and the tree he had claimed as his own for the evening. He internally rationalised that calmness was an appropriate response based solely on the fact that he wasn’t dead _yet_. Surely if they had wanted to, this pack could have easily torn him apart while he was asleep. But here he was, quickly wrenched from his dreamless slumber by breathing. Then it hit him. He had heard _breathing_ , not panting. The steady inhales and exhales that had roused him were distinctly _human_. He looked up the trunk of the tree, and there _he_ was.

Crouched on the lowest branch of the tree and holding a bow in one hand, there was a man. A wolf’s pelt was draped over him like a cloak, the fanged muzzle hanging over his face and casting shadows over his eyes. Jesse half-believed that he was hallucinating this all, or having a very specific and peculiar nightmare. But the man was staring right back at him, unblinking, and the wolves surrounding Jesse occasionally looked to the perched archer as if for instruction or guidance. Perhaps the gossip was true. Perhaps the mountain _was_ too dangerous for humans. He had gotten this far, though, and if he was going to die alone in a forest, the least he could do was find out the name of his killer.

“Howdy, partner,” he called, focusing on familiar words and thoughts in the tense situation. “Is there something I can do for you?”

“Why did you come here?” the man replied curtly, gaze never wavering.

“This is a mighty fine forest, and I figured I ought to see what makes it so special. No one else knows anythin’ about it, so I decided I’d come see for myself.”

“This place isn’t for your kind.”

“My kind? What’s your kind then?”

The man looked almost surprised by Jesse’s apparent lack of fear. He cocked his head and appraised Jesse for a few silent moments before leaping from his perch and landing effortlessly next to the largest of the wolves. The man ruffled the thick fur between the wolf’s ears as the creature butted its muzzle against his side.

“You are a stranger here.”

“How’d you guess?” Jesse said with a grin, turning his fear into amusement.

“I have never seen you in town. And you decided to come to my forest, my mountains. _They_ do not come here.”

“Is that a good or bad thing?”

“What?”

“Is it good or bad that I’m a stranger? That they don’t come here? That I _did_ come here?”

“You ask many questions.”

“I don’t know shit, partner, but I _do_ know when I’m out of my league. You? This forest? Way out of my league. So I figure I oughta try to feel this whole situation out. I mean I’m not dead or disemboweled yet, so I have to be doing _something_ right, right?”

Perhaps it was the way the filtered moonlight caught and reflected in Jesse’s eyes. Perhaps it was the way the pack, usually tense and edgy, were beginning to groom themselves and sprawl out around the base of the tree. Perhaps it was the unseen hand of Fate. It was certainly _something_ , though, that let a smile cross the archer’s face as he settled his bow against the base of the tree.

“What is your name, stranger?”

“Jesse McCree. Pleased ta meet ya,” Jesse said, trailing off to leave the man a place to respond with his own name.

“Jesse. I am Hanzo, master of this forest and this mountain.”

“How’d you get a title like that? Sounds nice.”

“I did not _get_ this title. It is mine by birth, by Fate. This is my domain.”

Jesse considered this. He figured there were a few options. One was that this man was the local nut who honestly believed he was raised by wolves and had been largely left to his own devices, roaming the forested hills, as long as he left the townsfolk alone. Another was that this man was a murderer who somehow trained a pack of wolves to do his bidding and now had thoroughly terrified the locals of entering the woods. And then there was the fleeting idea that maybe, just _maybe_ , this Hanzo was everything unbelievable that he seemed to be, that none of his appearances were deceiving.

“Well, like I said, it’s nice ta meet ya, Hanzo. Are we gonna...have any problems here or anything?” Jesse finally found the courage to ask. This conversation had gone on long enough with him still constantly considering that this breath might just be his last.

“The wolves seem to like you,” Hanzo said after a moment of silence. “I did not expect they would lead me to a sleeping human.”

“What do they, uh, usually lead you to?” Jesse couldn’t help but inquire, trying not to regret the words while they were still leaving his lips.

Hanzo laughed, and Jesse saw unusually sharp canines in the man’s mouth. Maybe his third possible theory actually _could_ hold some weight. But it was more important, he decided, to focus on the things Hanzo said rather than his fangs or the way a massive wolf was headbutting him like a puppy looking for attention.

“You are the strangest human I have ever met,” Hanzo said. “Are you sure you want to know the answers to all these questions you ask?”

“Look, Hanzo,” Jesse began, finally pushing himself up from the base of the tree to stand and realising he actually had a good few inches on the other man, “I woke up in a forest surrounded by wolves and somehow I am not dead yet. I think I can handle a few answers. No matter what they are.”

Hanzo smirked but nodded his head. That was as fair a point as any, and he was finding himself surprisingly not annoyed at the foreigner trespassing in his territory.

“Usually the wolves lead me to fresh kills, or lost pups from the other packs that pass through our home. They have certainly never led me to a _living_ human.”

“So they’ve led you to, uh, less than alive people before?” One day Jesse would learn to just shut up, but he couldn’t see that happening any time soon.

“They are predators. This is their territory. Despite their current behaviour, they do not often take well to intruders.”

Jesse let out a low whistle as he ran a hand back through his hair. “Never been much for gambling, but maybe my luck’s turned up for a change.”

“You seem quite lucky to me,” Hanzo replied, “but what will you do with this luck?”

That caught Jesse off-guard. What exactly _would_ he do from here? He had clearly made it through the most perilous moments of the encounter, but surely there was plenty of time for it to fall apart. He glanced around to the lounging wolves and then back to Hanzo before he exhaled deeply.

“I said I wanted to explore these mountains, and I don’t reckon I’ve done much of that yet. Only been here a day. But I’m not keen on losing my head any time soon, if ya catch my drift,” Jesse answered slowly, still trying to find the right words even as he began to speak.

“I cannot allow a human to wander my territory unaccompanied. There are dangers here beyond your grasp, and it may give other humans _ideas_ ,” Hanzo said, trailing off as he gazed steadily into Jesse’s eyes. Was actual fear finally dawning in the man finally? “But _perhaps_ you could see my domain with an escort.”

An escort? Jesse was not stupid. That had to either mean Hanzo himself or someone under his command - a wolf even? This was an unprecedented offer though. No one in the town had any knowledge of what existed up on the mountain. There were no photographs or even maps to document the expansive forest. And if his escort _was_ an actual, living wolf, that would only make the entire thing more unbelievable but also amazing.

“What’s the price of admission? I’ve got-”

“I don’t need anything you can offer me physically, Jesse McCree. I am the lord of the forest, master of the wolves, _yama no kami_. But you will tell no one of what you see here. You will tell no one of what you learn. If you return to the town, and someone asks of your journey, you will say that you got nowhere, and that nothing came of it.”

“Aren’t you worried one day they’ll figure it out anyway?”

“Figure it out?”

“That you aren’t just going to kill everyone who shows up here, that you’re not some murderous demon or something. The way they talk about the mountain...Well I didn’t think I’d make it long enough to know your name, let’s say that much.”

Hanzo’s brow furrowed and he frowned. How long had it been since the people last tested him? Several generations, he had to assume. It had been quite a while. Perhaps it had been too long. Even the strongest legends could only remain untested for so long before _someone_ needed to find out the truth for themselves. Perhaps that was Jesse’s purpose in showing up when he had. Hanzo nodded once and picked his bow back up.

“In the morning, you will return to the town. You will tell them you heard the wolves in the night. When you woke up, your supplies were gone but you were unharmed. You will tell them that you are going to try to get your things back. You will tell them you felt something watching you, and that you will document your findings.”

“Document my-...You don’t get out much, do you? Or...in much? You’re always out I guess...But _anyway_ , I think I get the point. You want them learning enough to stay out but not too much to get them all curious to see for themselves.”

“Yes. I cannot have them wandering into my forest whenever they please.”

“Is there anything else?”

“You will obey my commands. You will not survive otherwise.”

Jesse tried not to laugh - he really did. He was talking to a self-proclaimed god with a pack of wolves in the middle of a forest no one ever went to. There were at least a dozen different ways for this to go absolutely awfully. But he just couldn’t help himself. How was he supposed to just _ignore_ a comment like that?

“Obey you, huh? Sounds hot.”

Hanzo could have expected everything but that. In all his years, through all his encounters with errant humans, nothing could have prepared him for Jesse McCree and his inability to keep his mouth shut. He found himself actually speechless as he tried to grasp for any sense of control over the situation. The wolf at his side headbutted his hand where it had stopped providing ear scratches and shook Hanzo out of his disorganised thoughts.

“You should be going, if you intend to be back by sunset.”

“Sunset?”

“That is when I will meet you by the forest’s edge. I will take you to the shrine where you may sleep for the night.”

“The shrine?”

“Enough questions, Jesse. You will undoubtedly have more than enough time to bother me with them later. You should get rest while you can. You have much to do in the morning.”

That was true enough, Jesse supposed, and he nodded his head. He extended a hand to Hanzo.

“I’ll take your word I won’t get murdered in my sleep?”

“Yes. By my honour.”

“Then I’ll be seein’ ya later, Hanzo.”

Hanzo paused for a moment before grasping Jesse’s hand firmly and shaking it just once. He let go and glanced to his pack, giving them an unspoken order with his gaze. They roused themselves and let out acknowledging barks as they began to disappear back into the forest almost seamlessly. Jesse was more certain than ever that he did not want to be caught on their bad sides. It would be effortless to tear him to pieces.

“Until this evening, Jesse McCree. Do not forget my orders.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, wolfie.”

Hanzo sighed but let it go. He was beginning to understand that there was no amount of chastising that would quiet the human. He offered one last smirk before he quickly scaled the tree, running along a thick branch before leaping to the next and rapidly progressing through the canopy. It took mere moments for Jesse to entirely lose sight of Hanzo. He exhaled heavily as he slid back down the tree trunk to settle on his bunched up sleeping bag. He ran a hand back through his hair and tried to make some sort of sense of this all. Well he certainly was well on his way to learning _plenty_ of new secrets. He only hoped he would live to enjoy the knowledge.


	2. Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Jesse has been offered further guided exploration of the mountain by the strange Hanzo, both must prepare for the coming evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you would like to see more of my work or request a fic, please visit my [Tumblr](http://dragestil.tumblr.com)

Somehow, Jesse slept soundly through the rest of the night, and though his fire was long dead by the time he woke, he was unfazed. What did he have to fear, after all, when he had survived an encounter with a pack of wolves and someone claiming to be master of the mountain? If the apex predators of the forest were going to leave him alone, surely every smaller creature would as well. He packed up his supplies as soon as he had shaken the last of sleep from his bones and rinsed his face with water from the stream.

Before leaving his campsite, he looked quickly around for signs that he hadn’t just had a wild dream. And there, on the banks of the river, he found large paw prints pressed into the soft, muddy ground. Part of him was relieved. He wasn’t sure he could mentally handle having such a vivid and intense dream. But part of him, a quiet part that he tried hard to keep as far back in his mind as he could, was terrified. Surviving his initial meeting with Hanzo was obviously only the first challenge. The secret part of him considered just ending this madness now - leaving the forest and never coming back, never putting himself back in the shadow of the mountain. How could he just drop a mystery this big, though? This was everything he had ever craved. He knew he could not give this up, regardless of the stirrings of fear deep in his gut.

Finally decided on his plans, Jesse slung his pack over his shoulder and began the hike out of the forest. He tried to begin forming a mental map that could at least get him back to the tree by the stream where he had spent the night. If he ever got to wander freely in this forest again, he would love to spend time just unwinding, maybe with a book, settled amongst the gnarled roots. Plus, it would be helpful beginning to map this forest if he was going to be returning and exploring it in depth. Hell, he could be the first person to ever actually document its expanses. He pushed himself to walk faster than he had the previous day, however, remembering that Hanzo expected him back by sunset.

It wasn’t long after midday when Jesse exited the forest and headed back into town. He had stashed his gear in a hollow at the base of a tree just beyond the treeline for later. His first stop once back in ‘civilisation’ was the bar. He ordered himself a beer as he struck up conversation with an older man who had been chatting with the bartender.

“You know anything ‘bout the forest on that mountain outside of town?” Jesse asked, keeping his tone as casual as possible to avoid letting on what he already knew.

“Why you askin’?” the man replied, not looking up from his drink.

“I ain’t from ‘round here - I’m sure you already noticed that. I went hikin’ yesterday and woke up with no supplies and some wolf tracks.”

“You went out there yourself?” the man said, suddenly giving Jesse his full attention. “You crazy or somethin’?”

“Or somethin’,” Jesse answered with a roguish grin. “I like ta think I’m an explorer, y’know? So I went explorin’. You sayin’ I shouldn’t go out there?”

“There’s a demon up on that mountain. He makes the wolves mad. They’ll attack anyone who so much as looks at ‘em. There’s nothin’ but trouble in those woods.”

“C’mon, you think I’m that gullible? Ain’t no ‘demons’ expect in stories to scare kids into listenin’ to their parents and comin’ home before it gets too dark.”

“There’s a demon out there, no two ways about it. Friend of my grandpa went out to prove there wasn’t anythin’ crazy back when they were teenagers and he never came back. His parents didn’t even have a body to bury or nothin’. He just up and disappeared. My grandpa said the wolves could be heard even in the town that night. Spooks me just thinkin’ about it.”

Jesse tried to measure his fear carefully. It wouldn’t do to get too caught up in these stories, no matter how dark they seemed. He had already met this ‘demon’ of the mountain as well as his ‘mad’ wolves, and he was still alive. He didn’t want to think about previous explorers though. He _couldn’t_ think about them - at least not if he wanted to keep his nerve.

“I’m sorry ‘bout your grandpa’s friend, but surely it can’t be that bad. There’s plenty of ways to get hurt in a forest, and more on a mountain. Besides, I gotta get my gear back.”

“You suggestin’ you’re goin’ _back_ to the woods?”

“Well I gotta.”

“Listen, kid, I get it. You think you’re big and bad, but you ain’t got nothin’ on whatever lives up there. If you value your life, you’ll cut your losses and go home. There’s nothin’ out there worth that foul creature’s wrath.”

“I hear ya, I do,” Jesse said, trailing off for a moment to breathe and steady himself before looking the man dead in the eye, “but I’m goin’ back. Demon or no, I’m not just gonna pack it in and leave without my shit. If I don’t come back, well no one’s gonna miss me and you’ll know you’re right. If I do, well maybe I can tell ya what’s really out there, if there’s anythin’ at all.”

The man sighed and shook his head, taking a long sip from his glass of whiskey before holding it up in a toast.

“Braver man than the kids ‘round here, probably stupider too, but I can respect that. To your health - or a quick death, whichever’s more merciful.”

Jesse clinked his beer bottle with the man’s glass and took a hearty swig before setting it back on the bar and staring at his hands. They called alcohol liquid courage, but Jesse had never felt less courageous. If everything he had heard in town was true, he was putting himself not only at risk of injury, but in fact at risk of a possibly gruesome death. And his late night encounter seemed more and more like a fever dream, or at least so far distant that it felt at least partially like a figment of his imagination. Sure he had seen paw prints in the mud, but the presence of a couple of wolves by a stream didn’t necessarily equate to the pack that he was semi-certain had surrounded him.

“You sure about this?” the man asked, catching wind of Jesse’s internal dilemma.

“Gotta be. I’m a man of my word, and I said I was gonna get my things back. It’s a fine enough day to die,” Jesse replied, perhaps partially to convince himself of his conviction.

“How ‘bout I buy you a beer when you come back?”

“You think I’ll be back?”

“Doesn’t matter if I do or don’t. I ain’t the one goin’ for a hike in the woods. You make it back here, and we’ll share another drink.”

Jesse stuck out his hand and the man shook it. He still felt like tucking tail and running as far from the mountain as his feet would carry him, but he was able to keep that urge in check. He would not submit to the flight instinct when there was so much potential to learn things no one else had ever learned. Even if he never got the chance to share this knowledge, _he_ would know it, and that was more than enough for him. And beyond that, beyond the lingering fear, there was a deeper hunger, a craving to return to the forest, to see its heart, to fall in love with the wilderness, to lose himself entirely.

“I’ll hold ya to that, partner.”

“Good luck, kid.”

“Thanks,” Jesse said as he finally stood and placed some money on the bar counter. “If I don’t come back, leave a beer for me at the edge of the forest. Maybe it’ll guide my spirit home.”

The bartender, who had been silently watching and listening while idly wiping the same spot on the counter for minutes on end, nodded his head. A beer wasn’t that expensive, and if someone was taking on the demon of the mountain, the least he could do was part with a beer for free. Hell, this outsider could free them from the forest’s curse. If he died trying to do that, he earned a drink in the afterlife.

Jesse waved to the bartender and the man before taking his leave of the bar. He took a deep breath of the still, midday air, the smell of summer flowers thick in the afternoon warmth. It was almost as intoxicating as the alcohol he’d been drinking, and it left him feeling heady and sedate. He considered how nice it would be to find a little patch of grass on the outskirts of town beneath a tree and just take a nap for a while. But he had things to get done. He needed to prepare himself for the evening, for his return to the mountain. But then again, surely a small nap wouldn’t hurt, especially if he was going to be up late exploring with Hanzo. He found himself wandering toward the edge of the town without thinking about it, and soon he was settling himself beneath a cherry tree. In the forest, however, there was no rest to be found for Hanzo.

He had not rested since meeting the strange human who asked too many questions and acted foolishly brave. The pack had largely left Hanzo to his own devices as they went on with their nightly hunts. A human was certainly not reason enough to alter their usual habits. But Jesse was far more than enough to shake Hanzo out of his routines. He sat on his throne, carved intricately into the heart of an ancient tree, and considered his options. He had gotten himself into such an unprecedented situation. He had all but sworn to a _human_ that he would reveal at least some of the secrets of his domain. What had he even been thinking?

Hanzo sighed. He had been thinking that he had never met someone like this Jesse McCree. He had been thinking that he had never seen his wolves so at ease around a human. He was thinking that just maybe decades and decades and decades alone was not what he wanted - at least not anymore. He had been thinking that there might just be something more going on than what first appeared.

He stood with a huff and began to pace the inner chamber of his shrine. He almost felt caged, even though the whole mountain and forest were his. He was meant to be a demon, an unseen but well-known terror that demanded respect and fear in equal measures. He was _not_ supposed to be some human’s tour guide. He growled as he sank heavily onto his throne again, letting his head fall back against the wood and closing his eyes. He had seen countless ages and countless men, and all of his meticulously cultivated appearances were being challenged by a foreigner who stumbled witlessly into something far beyond his realm. He massaged his temples wearily as he tried to come up with some sort of plan for handling this mess. He leaned forward and opened his eyes only when he heard the familiar, slow steps of the oldest member of his wolf back.

“It has been some time, Grandfather.”

 _“You were young and reckless when you needed me last,”_ the hulking but haggard wolf replied without opening its muzzle.

“You have always provided good counsel when I am least certain of my path.”

_“What has troubled you now?”_

“A man - an outsider.”

_“Men have never caused you such discomfort before. Did he fight back?”_

“I did not fight him at all. The wolves did not even attack him.”

The wolf seemed to take a moment to consider this, glancing away from Hanzo to gaze at the back wall of the shrine.

_“I have never known them to care for mortals.”_

“I know, Grandfather, and that is why I am troubled. He spoke to me as if I were just like him, as if I were not a threat at all.”

_“Did he disrespect you, Hanzo?”_

“No. But he did not _fear_ me - not as all of the others have. And I have...invited him back to the forest. I do not know why.”

_“This is a most unusual situation you have created. What will you do?”_

“I do not know. That is why I came to seek your advice. You have never guided me astray. You are as much the guardian of this place as I am.”

_“I cannot tell you what path to walk, Hanzo. But you have grown into your role. You are the soul of this mountain, the will of the forest made into man’s form. You will do what you must, what you know is right. If you trust him to return, perhaps there is reason - though you cannot yet name it. Even gods cannot always see the plans laid out by Fate. I believe you will make the right decision, whatever that may be.”_

“Thank you, Grandfather.”

_“I will send the twins to your side. They will perhaps be able to guide your decision when you meet with this man tonight.”_

“Thank you.”

The wolf looked into Hanzo’s eyes before nodding his shaggy head and turning to pad slowly from the inner sanctum. He faded away before reaching the low doorway that led out into the main room of the shrine. Hanzo leaned back on his throne and once more shut his eyes. He massaged the bridge of his nose with one hand while the fingers of his other hand drummed on the throne’s arm. He had hoped for more solid advice, but perhaps had expected this lingering uncertainty. He was well beyond his youth, now. He was meant to be more than capable of making his own decisions. At least, he told himself, he would have the pack’s eternal guardians as his companions in the evening.

Tamotsu and Daisuke were unlike the other wolves of Hanzo’s forest. They had been alive since before even he came into his own upon the mountainside. He was the soul of the place, but they were its protectors, and his counselors. They existed between the realms of the spirits and the living. Their guidance was invaluable, especially in matters regarding the whims of Fate. If any could see its hidden machinations, it was them.

Hanzo stood and dusted himself off. He had spent far too long caught up in his considerations about the actions of the previous night and of the night to come. He needed to physically prepare for Jesse’s return and to make certain everything was in order. The shrine would need to be pristine if he were to impress the man, and the wolves would need to be warned of his return. They had been kind to Jesse once, but Hanzo knew that did not necessarily guarantee future kindness. He nodded once to himself as he finalised his plans for the rest of the afternoon. Though he could not say precisely how, he knew tonight would change everything.


	3. The Heart of It All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Under the cover of night, Hanzo takes Jesse to see the shrine at the heart of the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you would like to see more of my work or request a fic, please visit my [Tumblr](http://dragestil.tumblr.com)

Jesse didn’t wake until the sun was already well on its way to sinking beneath the horizon. He cursed his craving for an afternoon nap and roused himself quickly, pushing himself up off the ground and heading straight for the edge of the woods. He wanted to grab  his things before he met up with Hanzo again. As much as was possible, he wanted to be prepared. He couldn’t, of course, plan for what he might encounter, but he could at least reassure himself with the knowledge that he had plenty of food for himself and basic camping supplies should he need them. He was unsure of whether or not Hanzo had any sort of house hidden on the mountainside in the forest.

It took him no time at all to retrieve his pack from the tree he had hidden it in, and he began to whistle an upbeat tune he had heard as a kid. He couldn’t quite shake all of the warnings from the man at the bar, so he hoped the happy melody would chase away the lingering doubts. Hanzo had seemed to respect Jesse’s lack of fear after all. It wouldn’t do to be trembling like a leaf when the so-called demon of the mountain appeared again. He pulled out a small block of wood from his backpack along with his whittling knife. Perhaps keeping his hands busy would stave off the thoughts of what could go horribly, awfully wrong.

Hanzo did not keep Jesse waiting for too long, though. As the sun dipped below the treeline to the west, the god of the forest appeared with two spectral wolves. He cleared his throat pointedly to gain Jesse’s attention without startling him too much. The last thing he needed was his pack smelling blood because Jesse got spooked and cut himself with that little knife. His plan worked and Jesse glanced up from his work, pushing off the tree he had been leaning on as he worked. Before he could catch himself, he let out a low whistle as he appraised Hanzo and his companions.

“That’s not what you were wearin’ last night, and those two weren’t there either. Or am I still dreaming?” Jesse said, scratching the back of his head. “Didn’t figure you the baggy pants type...”

“I do leave the forest at times. I do not think I would be well-received in town wearing my usual attire. If you are followed, no one will guess my true nature.”

“What about them?” Jesse asked, gesturing to the wolves. “Not sure people could just ignore those two even if you look like that.”

“They would not see Tamotsu and Daisuke. These are the guardians of the forest, and they do not simply appear to everyone who wanders idly into their domain.”

“But I can see them?”

“You were invited here.”

“Fair enough, I guess. So are we gonna...go somewhere or just stand here all night? Not that I’m complainin’, just-”

“You talk too much. Let us go then, if you are so eager to see more of this place.”

Jesse nodded his head and followed as Hanzo turned and began to walk into the forest. He was still caught up on Hanzo’s appearance - how _normal_ he looked wearing casual clothes. Compared to the fearsome warrior draped in the pelt of a wolf that he had met the previous night, this man seemed like an underpaid retail employee of some hip fashion store. And yet Jesse couldn’t help but feel like Hanzo could still end him with a single glance from those piercing eyes. He slipped his knife and wood back into his bag as he worked to keep up in unfamiliar territory.

“We will go to the shrine first. If you are to spend any time here, you must pay respect to this place, to its heart. This is sacred ground,” Hanzo said without looking back.

“Of course. Don’t wanna disrespect anyone or anythin’. That’s not what I’m about,” Jesse replied seriously. “I didn’t really bring any sorta offerings though.”

Hanzo did not answer, only leading Jesse further into the forest. He was used to a certain level of peace and quiet. Though he often talked to his pack and to the spirits of the forest, he had very few conversations with people. On the rare occasions he went into town, he usually tried to keep himself as unnoticed as possible. The less people questioned him, the better.

 _“Where do you come from?”_  one of the wolves asked.

 _“Hanzo has told us little about you, outsider,”_ the other continued.

Jesse froze. Wolves? Sure he could handle those. Blue, translucent wolves? Not the weirdest things he had seen. _Talking_ , blue, translucent wolves? That was a step too far to just be casually brushed past. He took a deep breath to ground himself in this bizarre new reality before jogging a few steps ahead to catch back up with his escort.

“I’m from all over.  The Southwest’s where I got my accent though.”

_“How did you get here?”_

“I go lots of places. Don’t call anywhere home, so I just wander around ‘til I find something interesting. All the shit I heard about this place? Real interesting. So I came to see what the fuss was about.”

_“What was the fuss about?”_

“Hey, didn’t you say I asked too many questions, Hanzo? I’m gettin’ grilled over here.”

“You came into their territory, Jesse. Do they not have a right to ask about you and your intentions?”

“Fair,” Jesse said with a sigh and a nod. “I wanted to see if there really was a demon on the mountain. But I ain’t seen a demon yet.”

That seemed to give the wolves pause, and the party of four fell into silence as they journeyed through the dense forest. Jesse tried to expand upon the mental map he had made that morning on his way out of the forest, but he knew there was no way he’d be able to find his way back without a guide. He almost wondered if he’d ever hear another voice again in the stillness of the forest in the thickening gloom of night. It was Hanzo who spoke to break the spell of quiet that had overtaken them all.

“They call me despair and destruction. They call me a god of death. They say that I am as unforgiving as the steep slopes of my mountain.”

“They don’t know you,” Jesse replied.

“Do you know me, Jesse McCree?” Hanzo asked, stopping to turn back and face the lone wanderer who had somehow convinced Hanzo to reveal the secrets of his domain.

Jesse’s brow furrowed. He had only met Hanzo the previous night, and yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that he _did_ know Hanzo, or at the least knew the sort of man that he was. But how could he say that without sounding crazy? He chewed on his lip for a few long moments.

“I know you aren’t what they say you are. You could have killed me, but you didn’t. You could have banned me from ever coming back, but you didn’t. Right now even you could be leading me to my death. But you aren’t, are you?”

 _“So he_ is _different from the others who have strayed here before.”_

_“Of course he is, Daisuke. The pack see beyond the surface. They would not allow just anyone to sleep here unbothered.”_

_“Take him to the sanctum.”_

“Humans are not meant to see the heart of the shrine. You cannot mean I let him see it all, Tamotsu.”

_“That is just what I mean, Hanzo. You called upon us for guidance. Will you ignore it now because it does not match your expectations?”_

Hanzo looked away briefly, as if ashamed of his questioning the judgment of the forest’s guardians. He shook his head after a minute’s pause.

“Of course not. You have never led me astray in all my years. I will show him it all.”

_“Good. We shall leave you to your task, then.”_

The wolves did not wait for Hanzo’s response. Rather, they walked past him and then faded away into the night not ten feet from where Jesse and Hanzo still stood. Jesse ran a hand through his hair as he exhaled heavily. He couldn’t claim to fully grasp all of what had been said, but he definitely understood the fact that he was being marked as different, perhaps even _special_ in some way. He wasn’t certain, however, whether that was a good thing in the long run or not. Hanzo cleared his throat.

“We should continue on. The shrine is not far from here.”

“Of course, yeah, sounds good,” Jesse said, glad to be able to focus on something other than wondering just what was in store for him. He could handle wandering through a forest. That was a reasonable and logical thing, even if he didn’t know where he was being led to.

Hanzo and Jesse slipped back into silence as they resumed their journey. Night had fully settled over the forest, but a strange light seemed to linger around Hanzo wherever he went, and that was more than enough to illuminate the worn path Jesse realised they were following. Through the leaves and moss and debris, Jesse could just make out stones that must have once been a proper pathway. He wondered how long it had been since people had regularly travelled to the shrine.

“It’s just ahead,” Hanzo said, motioning to a break in the trees where moonlight shone through.

And there it was. Jesse couldn’t help but widen his eyes in amazement. In a small clearing grew an absolutely massive tree. Jesse couldn’t even fathom how old it must have been to grow so large and so strong. Its sprawling branches provided nearly the whole clearing with shade, and at the base of its trunk there was an opening large enough for a grown man to pass through. The stone path was obvious here, still well-kept with the smooth, pale rocks reflecting the moon’s light like mirrors. Jesse had never been much of a believer in magic, but this place urged him to change his mind.

“Come. The shrine is within, and the sanctum is beyond that.”

Jesse followed in reverential awe, keeping as close behind Hanzo as he dare. Hanzo whispered a brief prayer as he passed through the archway carved into the tree. Jesse didn’t know what to say, but bowed his head before crossing the threshold into the shrine. When he lifted it, he was taken aback by the grandeur of the shrine. It had been carved painstakingly in the trunk of the tree, with a sloped ceiling that rose to a point high above them. There was a small altar in the middle of the room with lit incense set upon it. The shrine smelled of cherry blossoms, and Jesse had to believe it was from the sweet smoke wafting up from the altar and seeping into the wood all around them.

“This is unbelievable,” he murmured, voice low as if to keep from disturbing the sanctity of the space. “Did you make this yourself?”

“This shrine has existed for as long as the forest has. I am merely its caretaker, and its god.”

“The path outside - people must have worshipped here once.”

“The forest was sacred to the first settlers here. They understood its beauty and its power. They knew that all it could give, it could also take away. Things were different then.”

“What happened? What changed?”

“Men grow greedy and complacent. They believe they can tame all of nature like their pets and livestock. They think it is their _right_ to bend nature to suit their desires. They stopped leaving offerings and began talking about clearing trees, hunting for sport.”

“So you scared them off...You became something to be feared to protect this place.”

“I did what had to be done.”

“But-”

“It does not matter now. The past is the past. Come. You still have not seen the heart of it all.”

Jesse closed his mouth and nodded, treading softly behind Hanzo as he was led beyond a heavy, wine-red curtain behind the altar. If the shrine had amazed him, the sanctum left him absolutely stunned. The encompassing walls were carved with intricate scenes - wolves on the hunt, devotees leaving offerings, a boy growing into a man, memories from a distant past. And right in the middle of it all was the throne carved into the very heart of the tree, the very heart of the forest.

“This feels so familiar,” Jesse breathed, gently tracing a carving of a woman leaving wildflowers on an altar with his fingers. “Why does this feel familiar?”

Hanzo said nothing, only watching from the entryway as Jesse moved from one vignette to the next. He did not know what to say. What _could_ he say? That this felt as familiar to him as it did to Jesse? That he had been fighting against a sense of deja vu from the moment he brought Jesse into the shrine?

“Hanzo,” Jesse said, and Hanzo blinked, pulling himself back into the present reality. “Why did you bring me here? Even before those wolves told you to bring me here, you were already planning on it. Last night you said you would show me your shrine. Why?”

“I needed to.”

“Why?”

“You are so familiar to me,” Hanzo finally said after several minutes of staring silently at Jesse. “Perhaps if I brought you here, I could find out why you are so familiar.”

“Have you? Found out I mean.”

Hanzo shook his head with a sigh, glancing down. Not knowing felt like failure, especially when he was risking so much by bringing a stranger all this way.

“Perhaps spending so many ages alone has weakened my mind. Perhaps I have forgotten the truth of reality.”

“Do you really believe that?”

“No.”

“What do you believe?”

“Come here,” Hanzo said, though he halved the distance between them himself by taking two steps forward. Jesse closed the rest of the distance obediently. “Look into my eyes and tell me what you see.”

Jesse’s brows furrowed in concentration as he stared at Hanzo. There was a light in Hanzo’s eyes that shone bright even in the dimly lit sanctum. And there were stories in those eyes, even if Jesse could not interpret them all. Hanzo had seen so much, and it was all reflected back in his unwavering gaze. But there was more than just that. Jesse could see himself - but not himself. The Jesse that he saw was someone - _something_ \- more than him. His chest ached, and he clutched at it instinctively.

“Where are you from?” Hanzo asked quietly.

“The southw...” Jesse trailed off, face scrunching up as he searched for an answer somewhere inside himself. “I don’t...know? I can’t remember...“

“Who were your parents?”

“I never had any. I was an orphan.”

“Were you?”

“Why can’t I remember? Hanzo, what’s going on? What have you done to me?”

“The pack really do see beyond the surface,” Hanzo murmured as he set a hand on Jesse’s shoulder. “ _Remember._ ”


	4. Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the middle of Hanzo's shrine, Jesse remembers it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you would like to see more of my work or request a new fic, please check out my [Tumblr](http://dragestil.tumblr.com)

The world seemed to fade around Jesse. Though he was standing still, he felt like he was falling and falling and falling. And when he closed his eyes to blink, it felt as if he had just plummeted into a pool of water. He opened his eyes, and he was no longer in the shrine. He could still feel the ghost of Hanzo’s hand on his shoulder, though.

He looked around to try to place himself. He was in the desert, in his own past. He didn’t entirely recognise the exact location, but it was entirely familiar. He took a hesitant step forward, and realised he could move freely in this dream or nightmare or hallucination. He licked his lips anxiously and pressed on, following a gut feeling that led him toward the fuzzy horizon. The sun was blazing overhead, but he only felt a pleasant warmth. He glanced down and realised a coyote was at his side, and this did not surprise him. It did not even surprise him when the coyote looked up and _smiled_ at him.

 _“You haven’t been here in a very long time,”_ the coyote said.

“Where is here?”

 _“So that’s why,”_ the coyote mused before looking back to the expansive desert that sprawled out before them. _“You are at the Crossroads, the place between.”_

“You’re not really making it any clearer. I don’t understand what’s happening.”

_“Where were you? Just now before you arrived here.”_

“I was in a forest, a temple.”

_“A temple? What sort of temple?”_

“A shrine to a god of a forest and mountain. He has a pack of wolves too.”

_“Who does?”_

“Hanzo - I guess technically he’s ‘the god’ of the temple, but it’s weird to say it like that.”

_“Interesting. Fascinating, even. How did you come here? Can you remember?”_

“Somethin’ felt weird, like I recognised where I was, but I didn’t. Hanzo was askin’ me about myself, tellin’ me to look at him and say what I could see. He,” Jesse paused as he reached to scratch his shoulder where he could still feel Hanzo’s steady grasp, “he put his hand on my shoulder and told me to remember and I blinked and then I was here.”

_“Have you remembered?”_

“No. No, I haven’t,” he growled in frustration as he looked for something - anything - to spark the flood of memories he was sure was just waiting somewhere to be triggered.

The coyote let out a huff with something akin to irritation.

 _“You aren’t_ thinking _, Jesse.”_

“Don’t tell me what I’m not doing! You aren’t half as smart as you think you are, Phoenix!”

_“There it is. Now you are calling it all back to you. It’s no wonder really. Everything comes together here.”_

“Your name is Phoenix? Your name _is_ Phoenix...I know that. How do I-?”

_“We’re almost there.”_

“Where?”

_“You’ll know.”_

Jesse groaned in frustration, but said nothing more as they continued walking. The coyote, Phoenix, had been half a step in front of Jesse, as if leading the way, but now it was Jesse pulling ahead. He walked with purpose, eyes set on something he could not see, a destination he could feel calling to him in his bones. He realised they were on a path, and perhaps had been since the beginning. And up ahead he could see a sign post at a juncture where several paths converged before continuing off their separate ways. He picked up his pace, first jogging lightly but soon running for the meeting point.

“It’s there! Right there! How could I have missed it?” he called back to Phoenix, though he couldn’t tear his gaze from the sign post.

He sprinted the final few steps before finally reaching his destination. He reached out toward the sign post and watched the desert melt away around him. It was suddenly night - so late that dawn was far closer than sunset. He was at a fork in a road. The path to his right led up into mountains. The path to his left led down into a valley. And between the diverging paths sat a small building, little more than a hut from outside appearances. It was made of weathered stone, and moss clung to the walls and roof. There were niches carved into the front where withered flowers and melted candles sat. In between these niches was a thick, silvery curtain.

Jesse’s heart pounded in his chest as he reached forward and slowly pushed the curtain aside. He ducked his head as he stepped into the shrine, and the world seemed to freeze around him. His eyes went wide. He had seen this all before - an altar with sage burning on it, a second curtain leading beyond the shrine, a sloped roof with smoke coiling upward toward it. As if pulled by the hands of Fate itself, he marched toward the shimmering grey curtain behind the altar and passed beyond it.

“No,” he breathed.

The stone walls were carved with intricate scenes - a farmer planting his crops, a girl waving to her departing lover, a man taking shelter from a storm in a cave, wanderers in an unending desert. And there, there in the midst of it all, was the throne. The stone was worn smooth and even inside the building, moss had begun to take hold. He couldn’t hold himself back. He had come too far to leave any questions unanswered.

Jesse surged toward the throne and brushed the moss from the seat before turning quickly and falling heavily into it. His hands grasped the arms tightly, and he swore he could feel indents where his fingers came to rest. He leaned back until his head hit the back of the throne and his eyes went wide.

Lifetimes and lifetimes of events raced past his mind’s eye. Sometimes, he could see himself, but sometimes the him he saw was not someone he recognised. He was a gambler with a perfect poker face. He was a vigilante with a perfect disguise. He was a wanderer with no place to call home. He was the instinct to take a different path. He was the pull of a guiding star.

 _“Have you remembered, then?”_ Phoenix asked, appearing in the doorway between the shrine and the sanctum.

“I am a traveller - no, I am _the_ traveller. I am all of the places in between. This place, this temple, they pray to me. Or they did. They asked me to keep them safe on their journeys, and to make sure they always found their ways home. How could I forget it all?”

_“You said it yourself, Jesse. You are in between everything. Even I don’t know how it happened, or when, but you fell too deep into the other side, their world, and you lost sight of this world.”_

“What do I do now?”

_“You wake up from your sleep. You’ve been resting for too long. If you are remembering, then there must be a need for you once more.”_

Jesse didn’t have time to reply. As he blinked, he was thrown back into the present, the world spinning around him until he reached forward and grabbed Hanzo’s arm for support. He ran his other hand back through his hair as he took a few deep breaths. Hanzo’s brow was furrowed in concern, and Jesse realised he must have been standing there motionless for a fair amount of time.

“You told me to remember, and boy howdy did I remember,” Jesse finally said with a shaky laugh.

“What did you see?”

“You’ll never guess. I’d never guess. I’m still havin’ trouble believin’ it all myself really. But...I also believe it fully? I’m not makin’ any sense,” he answered, trailing off as he tried to settle himself back fully in the present.

“What happened?”

“I blinked and I wasn’t here. I was in this desert. There was a coyote - Phoenix - and he was taking me somewhere, but then I knew where I was going? It sounds even crazier than it felt. We reached this crossroad and then _that_ disappeared and we were at a _different_ crossroad and there was a shrine.”

“A shrine?”

“Just...just like this one. But not. It was stone. But inside. Hanzo, it was...I’ve never...”

“I knew you felt familiar,” Hanzo murmured, “but I could never have guessed..."

“Am I really...?”

“A god?”

“Yeah.”

“From what I have gathered, from the actions of the pack and the instructions of Tamotsu and Daisuke, from what you have just said, I must conclude that yes, there is a strong possibility that you are a god.”

Jesse exhaled a heavy breath and shook his head as if to clear away the thoughts for even just a moment. He realised he was still clutching Hanzo’s arm and let go quickly with a mumbled apology before rubbing at his own arm.

“I thought gods were tied to places, but I’m...not? I mean I saw that shrine wherever I went just now, but that wasn’t...that was just one I think? It feels like...like there was more? Or like there are a bunch in a bunch of places, but they’re all that one? Like how I was in that desert first and then I reached out and was suddenly somewhere else at that temple.”

“I...I’ve heard about you.”

“You _what_ now?”

“Only rumours, but they’re too similar to be coincidental. Gods, we all exist in two realms - this mortal one, and the eternal plane beyond. In that plane, we can communicate with each other more easily. When I was younger, there was talk of a god who had access to a _third_ realm. They had already become more of a myth than fact by the time I heard about them. How could anyone, even a god, go beyond the two planes?”

“The Crossroads,” Jesse whispered, a knowing look dawning on his face.

“Crossroads?”

“That’s what Phoenix called the desert. He said it was ‘the place between.’ But I can’t be-”

“Why not? Yesterday morning, would you have said gods exist?”

“Well...no.”

“And this morning would you have believed Tamotsu and Daisuke could exist?”

“No, but that’s-”

“Different? Is it? I am aware of how this sounds, Jesse. You are not the only one who is having everything they know come into question. But the fact remains, what you saw and heard just now truly occurred - or we must believe it did. And if that is true, then we must conclude that you are a god - and very possibly the same god I heard legends of in ages past.”

“But that still doesn’t answer what I am. I thought- You’re the god of this mountain and forest and stuff. This is your place. You don’t - well I guess I just assume you don’t really go too far from here. But I’m not from here. But I _am_ here right now. Gods have to be the god of _something_ , don’t they?”

“That always troubled me when the others spoke of the god who knew three planes of existence. All of the rumours said that this god could travel freely across the mortal realm, never tied down by obligations to a place or cause. Even the gods of death cannot just go where they please. But this god - _you_ \- could go wherever you wanted. But this ‘Crossroads’ you speak of, the placement of your shrine. There have always been suggestions that there must be gods for the places in between, for wanderers and those who call no place their home. They call them liminal spaces - areas where everything is in a constant state of flux. If such places exist, if such a concept exists, I believe you could be the - or at least a - god of that.”

Jesse, brows knit in concentration, didn’t respond right away. He tried to process this - _all_ of this. In the past two days, he had seen more unbelievable shit than he could remember seeing in all his life. First there was a wolf-god generally considered to be a demon. Then there were talking ghost wolves. _Then_ he fell into some other supernatural realm, and _now_ he was contending with the idea that he might be a god himself.

“This sure is some fuckin’ Tuesday, ain’t it?” he muttered after a long pause. “And I just thought I’d be gettin’ a tour of the forest or somethin’.”

“This - _you_ \- are not what I expected either. But how could we expect such things? You appear just as any mortal does. You have no physical domain to bind and define you. And you yourself had forgotten your own nature. No one could have claimed to see these machinations of Fate. Her plans and fingers reach further than even we gods can comprehend. No one is free from the pull of Destiny.”

“Y’know...I wouldn’t figure you for the ‘Fate rules us all’ type. You seemed pretty in charge of it all with those wolves and...They call you the demon of the mountain.”

“I have lived too long to believe that there is only chance in this world. There are forces bigger than gods at play.”

“I guess that’s no crazier than anythin’ else that’s happened lately. I mean. I found a forest with an actual god and talking wolves and then turns out - who woulda guessed - maybe I’m an _actual god_ myself,” Jesse said with a disbelieving chuckle. “I can’t...How am I even saying that? How am I even _suggesting_ that? I sound insane. Am I insane?”

“There it is. I was wondering if you had forgotten your voice.”

“You make jokes?”

“Why would I not make jokes?”

“You are a god. Gods don't make jokes.”

"And you are a god. Do you  _not_ make jokes?"

“That doesn’t count!”

“Jesse, I have been around gods longer than you have - longer than you remember at least. Gods have nothing better to do than make jokes.”

Jesse let out a sigh but smiled. He ran a hand back through his hair and nodded. Perhaps he had gotten too far into his own head about this whole thing. Even if it were true, and he still struggled with that much, he was still himself, wasn’t he? God or not, he was still Jesse McCree - wanderer, adventurer, all around handsome devil.

“So what _do_ gods do? If you have all that time on your hands I mean,” Jesse asked as he glanced over to Hanzo with a smirk.

“With a look like that, they do the rest of the pantheon.”


	5. Into the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse has questions, so Hanzo takes him into the past to find answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like my work and would like to read more of it or request something, please check out my [Tumblr](http://dragestil.tumblr.com/)

“You said something about a second plane, didn’t you? One where gods can talk more easily?” Jesse began after a moment’s pause. “Is it a real place or something like the Crossroads I visited? If I go there, do I just stay like a statue where I am here or do I fall asleep to get there or, I mean, how does any of this work? What does any of this even _mean_ really?”

“Now there’s the volley of questions. Where would you like to begin?” Hanzo replied.

“What’s the difference between humans and gods?”

“The most fundamental difference is the nature of our existence. Humans exist temporarily, living and dying on this plane before moving on to the next. Gods exist eternally, though their forms may change over time.”

“How do you mean?”

“I have been the god of this place for generations and generations, but I have not been here since the beginning. Before me, there was another god - or rather, another me.”

“You’re losin’ me, Hanzo. What’s ‘another you’ supposed to mean?”

“Let me show you.”

Hanzo did not wait for an answer. Rather, he put his hands on Jesse’s shoulders and closed his eyes. Jesse’s eyes fell shut without thought, and he heard a rushing sound fill his ears. When he opened his eyes, it seemed at first like nothing had changed at all. He and Hanzo were still standing in the sanctuary of the forest’s temple. On closer inspection though, Jesse realised the walls had almost no carvings on them, and the throne was only half-carved. Everything also seemed just slightly out of focus.

“I think I know _where_ we are, so I guess the question is _when_ are we?”

“A long, long time ago. I...I honestly do not remember how long it has been. Follow me.”

Jesse nodded, and Hanzo headed for the curtain that led back to the main room of the temple. They both slipped out of the shrine and then into the forest. Though the tree that housed the shrine was still towering over the clearing, the surrounding trees were much younger than he had seen in the current-day forest. He stayed close as Hanzo headed down the stone path, now well-tended and apparent even as it crossed from the clearing into the woods.

“The forest has had a god and spirit guardians as long as it has existed. The wolves have been here nearly as long, and have come to be living guardians. Some then pass into the role of spirit guardian when their living days are done. Two of the oldest guardians are Tamotsu and Daisuke who you have met. But even older than them is Grandfather. This was his domain long before it was mine,” Hanzo explained as he followed the stone path’s meandering route through the trees. “Back then, I was a reckless youth. You remind me a lot of who I was.”

“I thought gods were immortal. But you’re saying you aged or something?”

Hanzo sighed. “Yes, but the truth is far more complicated than simply aging. We’re almost there, though. You’ll see.”

Jesse allowed them to lapse back into silence while Hanzo finally veered off the path and into a particularly dense patch of trees. Low-hanging branches caught on Jesse’s clothes, and he had to keep his head bowed to avoid running into sturdy limbs. He looked up and stopped only when Hanzo did the same in front of him. The god of the mountain pointed to a small clearing around a pond. Jesse gasped.

A young man, only in his late teens or early twenties, sat by the edge of the pond, washing his hands furiously in the water as if he could not get them clean enough. His back was to them, but Jesse recognised the bow and quiver sitting by the man’s side. He looked from the distracted figure to Hanzo and swallowed.

“That’s you,” Jesse whispered.

“It is.”

“How? Why?”

“I was young once. I lived in the village on the edge of the forest in the shadow of the mountain. I had a family, parents and a sibling, my brother.”

“Gods can have families?” Jesse interrupted before Hanzo could continue.

“I was not a god then.”

“What?!”

“Let me explain. You may ask me any further questions when I am done.”

“Sorry...right. Go ahead.”

“I was young and cocky. I wanted to walk in my father’s footsteps. He died when my brother and I were teenagers. I took up his role as head of our clan. We were smugglers, mercenaries, and assassins. I knew this all, but chose to continue in our ways. My younger brother did not care about our family’s business, though. He wished to live his own life, free to do as he pleased without concern for what affect it may have on the clan. The elders told me to stop him...By whatever means were necessary.”

As Hanzo spoke, his younger self looked up from the water at the sound of twigs snapping. Jesse’s eyes followed to find the source of the sound. On the opposite edge of the pond, a man with a wolf pelt draped over his shoulders stood. His hair was grey and his eyes were dark. He looked intimidating but also weary, as if he had been fighting for the entirety of his life. The sight of him made Jesse’s stomach tangle in knots.

“You spilled needless blood in my domain,” the stranger said, eyes fixed on the younger Hanzo, “and now you sully pure waters with that same blood. What is your defense?”

“I- I-...I have none, sir.”

“None? You offer nothing to defend yourself?”

“I was wrong. I shouldn’t have listened to the elders - no matter their position. There is no defense for what I have done.”

The stranger smiled as he skirted the edge of the pond to stand near the younger Hanzo’s side.

“Perhaps you are seeking redemption for your actions. You have already turned your back on those who would shape you into the heartless killer you could be. Perhaps there is reason you have run deeper into these woods.”

“I don’t- I don’t understand what you are saying, sir.”

“You may yet see your brother again, Hanzo Shimada. And there may still be a path to regain your honour.”

“How do you know my name?”

“I know everything that happens in my domain. Every word spoken within it I can hear. ‘What are you doing, Hanzo?’ he said. ‘Protecting our clan,’ you said. ‘Defending the Shimada name.’ - You did not sound certain of what you were saying. When did you stop believing in your task?”

“He could have beaten me,” Hanzo murmured, looking down into the pond. “He should have. He has always been better at close combat.”

“So you believe he allowed you to win?”

“I don’t know!” he shouted, grabbing his bow instinctively as he abruptly stood. “I know I killed my brother for no good reason, and now I have to live with the consequences!”

“Calm yourself, Hanzo. As I said, there is a path that can lead you to your brother and your honour.”

“And what is that?”

“You have prayed at the shrine in these forest for as long as you have wandered amongst the trees. You have always offered what is due in respect and offerings. Your brother has been called into the service of the wind god. Even now he whispers to the birds and the trees and the spirits in between. And in the setting sun, he will rush across the fields and bring welcome relief to those toiling upon them. You may pass yourself into the spirit realm to join him - I know it has crossed your mind - but there is another way. I am old and tired. I have cared for this place for many lifetimes. My time to rest is fast approaching. I need a successor. I cannot leave the mountain and forest untended to. You have honoured this place until now. Serving the forest will be your atonement for your deeds. If you keep it sacred, you will have redeemed your honour. And while you are its guardian, you will be able to speak with the spirit realm.”

“What do you mean ‘serve the forest’?”

“Who do you believe me to be, Hanzo?”

“I- I don’t know. Maybe the priest of the temple? It’s always well-kept so someone must tend to it regularly. Though you did say lifetimes...and spirit realm...”

“I am the lord of the forest, master of the wolves, _yama no kami._ This place is mine. It is my temple that lives in the heart of the woods. It is to me that you pray for strength and health and harvest. I have been here as long as this place has been. And I have lived too many ages in this form. I am tired, and you are young.”

“I killed my own brother.”

“You will have an eternity of atonement, and the opportunity to seek his forgiveness directly.”

“What...what would that make me?”

“ _Yama no kami_.”

“What would it mean?”

“You will become immortal from this day forward. You will take the throne within the shrine as your own. You will tend to it and this place. And you will gain access to the spirit realm, where you will be able to contact your brother.”

“But I don’t know how to do any of that.”

“You don’t need to. I know. The soul of the forest knows. And that soul will be yours. All of my knowledge, my memories, my power will all be yours.”

“Aren’t you immortal though? What will happen to you?”

“I will take a new form. I will join the wolves who have guarded this place since their birth. You will still be able to seek my advice. I cannot leave this place - I _will not_ leave this place.”

“I don’t know...”

“This is your destiny, Hanzo Shimada. It is by Fate’s hands that you have come to this place. Everything you have done has led you to this place. You came here by no mere accident.”

“If I do this, if I become...a god, I can speak to Genji again and regain my honour?”

“Yes.”

“And I will know what to do?”

“Yes.”

The young Hanzo took a deep breath before finally nodding his head.

“I’ll do it.”

The fading god extended his hand. Hanzo paused a moment before grasping it firmly with his own. A roaring wind surged through the trees and across the pond. The young Hanzo’s eyes grew unnaturally bright and his body stiffened as streaks of red coursed down the god’s arm and through his hand into Hanzo’s. The transfer seemed to go on for an eternity, but eventually the wind died down. The former god released Hanzo’s hand with a heavy exhale.

“It is done.”

“I saw it all,” Hanzo whispered, hand still hanging in the air where it was left. “The beginning, the first days, your whole lifetime.”

“Then you know what you must do for this place. And you know what I will become.”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

“Take care of our domain.”

“I will.”

The old god nodded his head once before turning and beginning to walk away. As he went, his human form seemed to melt away, and by the time he was on the other side of pond again, he was a haggard, old wolf. The young Hanzo, the new god, took a moment to allow the weight of his vastly increased knowledge and responsibility to settle over him. And then he too walked off into the forest, leaving Hanzo and Jesse alone in the past. They stayed there for a moment before Hanzo put his hand on Jesse’s shoulder and squeezed it. When Jesse turned to look, he found that they were back in the shrine - and the present.

“That is what I meant by ‘another me.’”

“So...you’re Hanzo, but also this god soul thing?”

“Yes.”

“You - _this_ you - wasn’t always immortal?”

“No. I was - this body was - once human.”

“Does that mean I was once a human? I don’t- I can’t- I still don’t remember how I got here. Only these little flashes of the past.”

“I do not believe you were ever human. The rumours always counted the god of liminality amongst the truly eternal gods - the ones who always were and always will be, who are entirely timeless. My predecessor was one of the many young gods, which makes me one as well. Our powers can wax and wane. We can find ourselves too weary to press on. That is why our souls - or the part of them which houses our power - are mobile. If we grow exhausted, we can find another to take them and our position.”

“What about...I don’t mean any offense - you can stop me if it’s too far, but...what about your brother? Did you really get to talk to him after you became the god of the mountain?”

“I did. But only many years after I took my position. I was still ashamed of my actions, and I did not believe I could face him.”

“What...what happened?”

“He forgave me. By that time, he had taken up the role of the wind god of this region. After our fight, I left him to his fate, expecting he would die from his wounds. But before he slipped from the world, the wind god came to him and asked him to serve her. He became her messenger and helped her ferry prayers to the heavens and souls to the spirit realm. When she became tired, he accepted the position and her soul. When I finally spoke to him, he had found peace with himself and the past.”

“He’s a god too?”

“Yes.”

“Is that...does that...happen often? Two siblings both becoming gods separately?”

“No. But we were not average siblings, I learned. You asked early if gods could have families. Amongst themselves, gods do not usually create families as humans might. However, surely you have heard stories, myths of gods falling in love with humans. These affairs can produce children who are not divine themselves. Ages and ages back, one of our ancestors fell in love with the god of the forest. Though many generations passed, we still retained that divine connection. Godhood is not easily passed to those who are purely mortal. One’s human soul must be strong on its own to tolerate the grafting of the god soul.”

“Is that why you called him Grandfather?”

“Yes.”

Jesse ran his hand back through his hair and exhaled. It felt like the world was spinning around him while he was stuck in one place.

“That’s a lot to take in,” Jesse murmured, “and that doesn’t even answer half my questions.”

“In time, you will find answers. For now, we should retire to my home. It is late, and this day has been long.”

“You mean you don’t just live in here?”

“In the shrine? No, no. This is only where I tend to matters as a god. I return home when I wish to relax...And perhaps also to regain a sense of my humanity.”

“Where is it?”

“By the pond in that small clearing. I built my home there to remind me of what brought me here.”

“Let’s go then. I’m awfully curious about what sorta place you’d call home.”


	6. A Place To Call Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo brings Jesse to his home in the forest for tea and company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Real life got a bit hectic. If you want to see updates about my schedule or to request fic, please check out my [Tumblr](http://dragestil.tumblr.com)

“So this is your home, huh?” Jesse said.

Across the pond - now more of a lake - there was a surprisingly well-sized house. It’s sloping roof shaded the narrow pathway that surrounded it. It looked impeccably maintained, and it made Jesse wonder how long it must have taken to construct it so deep in the forest. More than that, though, he wondered if Hanzo had done this all himself. Jesse couldn’t imagine anyone in the town being willing to help on a construction project in the supposedly demon-guarded woods.

“It’s not much, but it reminds me of where I came from.”

“It’s incredible.”

Hanzo didn’t reply and Jesse swore he could catch a hint of flusterment on Hanzo’s face. He didn’t push further though, and followed Hanzo around the lake to the front of the building. They stepped through a screen Hanzo pushed to one side into the entry room.

“Please take off your shoes - if you do not mind,” Hanzo said, already moving to slip his off and place them on a shoe rack.

“Your house, your rules. It’s no problem anyway,” Jesse answered, kicking off his boots and setting them by Hanzo’s.

“I can make us tea if you like. I do not keep too much food - I don’t often have visitors - but I have never gotten past the simple pleasures of hot tea at the end of a long day,” Hanzo said as he led the way into the main body of the house.

Jesse wasn’t entirely certain, but Hanzo seemed far more at ease than he had previously. His shoulders were loose and he had left his bow and quiver with their shoes. It made Jesse’s own posture slacken as he took in the interior. It was largely open, with rooms divided only by movable screens. The floors were made of tatami mats that were smooth beneath his feet. He smiled at the little things that hinted at traces of Hanzo’s personality and lifestyle.

By a half-opened screen door that led to the backside of the house and the adjoining forest, there were several bowls of water and raw meat. Jesse hadn’t considered that the wolves might serve not only as guardians of the forest but also as Hanzo’s companions and even pets. He could also see what appeared to be a target range where he assumed Hanzo practiced his archery through the same open screen. There was also a small shrine with incense burning. The whole house smelled faintly of cherry blossoms, and it brought a soft sort of warmth into Jesse’s core.

“You can sit if you like,” Hanzo said as he motioned to a low table. “It’ll just be a few minutes for me to prepare the tea. You can use the cushion as well. I do not mind sitting directly on the floor, but I know some people find it improper to sit on nothing.”

“I’m not bothered by that sorta thing. I’m always travellin’ so I don’t always have the option to sit on somethin’ comfy,” Jesse replied with an easy smile, moving to take a seat before the table.

Hanzo disappeared into what Jesse assumed was the kitchen and returned with a tray. On it was an ornate ceramic teapot and two cups. Hanzo set the tray carefully on the table as he knelt to sit in front of it, across from Jesse.

“I hope the tea is to your liking. It has been a long time since I have made any for someone other than myself. It is not the best quality, but it comes from the same plants as when I was a boy. I went to the fields and stole seeds once I had a place in the forest to grow my own tea. It’s not exactly the same - the soil here is different, but it feels familiar to me.”

“I’m not picky. I’m sure it’ll be great. It’s gotta be better than tin can coffee made with burnt beans.”

“Have you never had a home? When you speak about your past and your experiences, it sounds as though you have never stayed long in one place.”

“If I’m bein’ honest, I can’t remember. I never really thought much about my life ‘til you started askin’ questions about it. If I ever had a home, though, it was so long ago it doesn’t matter anymore. Whenever I’ve stayed anywhere longer than a few days, it’s been in hotels and inns or out in nature like how you found me sleepin’ in the woods. So I haven’t gotten used to the luxuries of a sedentary life. It’s got its benefits - I’m not picky about the little things - but I guess I miss out on a fair bit too. Never had a house of my own, always have to wonder where I’m gonna sleep at night. You’ve been here a while though, haven’t you?”

“I have lived near here my entire life.”

“You you or the god-soul-you?”

“Both possibly, but I mean myself - Hanzo.”

“Is that why you do so much to make it feel familiar?”

“Partially yes. It is good to remember the carefree days of my youth, but it is also good to feel connected to who I was then. When I became the god of this place, I forgot for many years how it was to be human. When I sought reconciliation with Genji, that is when I began to try to remember my mortal life. It is easy to imagine you are greater than you are. Having this home, making tea, practicing archery - I do not need to do any of these things, but they ground me. After all of these years, I am still Hanzo.”

A gentle quiet settled between them as Hanzo poured their tea and offered a cup to Jesse. Despite his reclusive habits, it felt nice to have a guest in his home. It was good to sit and talk with someone besides the wolves. He closed his eyes as he took a slow sip of his tea. For a moment, he could almost forget about immortality and obligation and power. For a moment, he was just an ordinary man living an ordinary life. It left a lingering warmth in his mind in the same way the tea left a lingering warmth in his stomach.

“Relaxation looks good on you,” Jesse murmured after a few moments and several sips of tea.

“Hm?” Hanzo answered, eyes blinking open as he was drawn back into the reality of the present.

“Seein’ you out in the forest and in the temple, you looked...tense? Maybe that’s not the right word. You looked...Out there it’s like you’re all business, like you’re doing your job - which I guess you are, so it makes sense. But in here...you look like you can breathe.”

A crooked smile turned up the corner of Hanzo’s lips and he let out a short, amused huff.

“Maybe that’s true. In here, I do not have to worry about appearances. No one will stumble across this place. Out there, I must be wary. However unlikely, there is always the possibility someone may wander into the forest. I must always be alert.”

“In case someone like me shows up?”

“In case anyone shows up. You have proven to be...an unusual case.”

“I s’pose I am,” Jesse admitted. “Guess you don’t often stumble on strange gods sleeping in your woods, huh?”

“No, I cannot say that I do,” Hanzo replied, taking a deep breath. “But I am glad to have found you.”

“You are?” Jesse said, suddenly feeling a wave of self-consciousness approaching.

“It is...surprisingly easy to talk with you. And you have treated me as just another man, not with fear or contempt.”

“Well of course I have! You never did anything wrong by me. It would be unfair to just treat ya rudely because of rumours.”

“Still, such courtesies are not often afforded to the demon of the mountain.”

“You’re no demon, Hanzo.”

Hanzo did not immediately reply, turning his attention back to the cup of tea still resting snugly in his hands. He took slow, steady sips as he heard the soft sounds of rain beginning to fall outside. He glanced to the half-opened screen and smiled faintly. As a child, he would always get in trouble for leaving screens open when it rained. He had always loved the smell of rain and the sound was so soothing.

“You know that, right?” Jesse pressed quietly.

“What?” Hanzo answered, turning to look back at Jesse.

“You’re not a demon. Regardless of what the people in town say.”

“Perhaps...But what is the difference between gods and demons, anyway? Are they not two sides of the same coin?”

That gave Jesse pause. He had never been one for religion or even spirituality. He had probably given more thought to the existence of ghosts or magic than to gods and demons. It had never seemed all that important. He had always made his way in life by his own hands, and that was reason enough to not get too caught up in thoughts of higher beings pulling strings. But if gods were real, then there must be some opposite power, he supposed.

“Listen, Hanzo, I won’t claim to know shit about this whole god business, but I know what you’ve shown me and what you’ve told me, and I know you’re not the monster they say you are - whether that’s a demon or something else. Maybe you’ve done bad shit, but we all have. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes - and that doesn’t even include everything I’ve forgotten. If I’m some old god, I’ve got to have fucked up plenty of times.”

“You really are something different, Jesse McCree. Who would have ever imagined? A foreigner comes into _my_ domain and somehow ends up teaching _me_ about godhood.”

“When you say it like that...But I mean it’s not that big really! I’m just sayin’ the obvious!”

“Perhaps obvious to you. It is easy to miss the forest for the trees. You have distance from this all, and that gives you perspective, I believe. I have never taken the proper time to reflect on my position, my place in this world. It seems you have spent a very long time thinking on yours.”

“I mean,” Jesse trailed off, setting his cup down and scratching at the back of his head as he glanced away, “I’ve had a lotta time to think. Not much else to do when you’re out there wanderin’ around tryin’ to figure out what to do with yourself. I don’t know where I stand with this whole god business, but I like to think I know who I am, the sorta person I wanna be.”

“What sort of person is that?”

“A good one, y’know? That sounds cliche, but...if anyone remembers me, I want them to be good memories. I don’t stay anywhere too long, but I try to help where I can, just little things people might need to get by. I never really had any ‘role models’ or anythin’, but I used to like - it sounds dumb sayin’ it outloud but - y’know the stories about the good cowboys takin’ on the bandits and savin’ the day and keepin’ the peace. I loved those stories. I wanted to be like that - some wanderin’ hero who rides into town on their trusty horse and clears out the bad guys.”

“When we were children, Genji and I would take turns playing the roles of noble samurai and villainous assassin. We would stage fights out in the fields or here in the woods. Genji had the most dramatic death scenes. Sometimes the samurai won. Sometimes the assassin won. Our father only tolerated our actions because our fights served as good training.”

“Would a demon smile when talkin’ about play fights with his younger brother?”

“Maybe…” Hanzo trailed off, taking a long pause as he stared into his empty cup. “But maybe it does not matter. God or demon, what matters is the usage of one’s powers, isn’t it?”

“Now you’re seein’ it too! Words are just words, aren’t they? Even though now I guess I know I’m a god, I’m still just...me. The word doesn’t tell me who I am.”

“Confidence looks good on you,” Hanzo said, catching Jesse’s gaze.

“Whaddya mean by that?” Jesse said, perhaps too quickly to sound totally neutral and collected.

“There was fear in your eyes when I first found you. And even in the temple, there was uncertainty. You spoke bravely, but you were unsure of me, of yourself, of all of this. But you seem comfortable here, and you sound sure of what you are saying.”

Jesse glanced away as he rubbed the back of his neck and tried to fight a rising feeling of embarrassment. He hadn’t been prepared for compliments being aimed in his direction. But it felt nice all the same. Despite their unexpected nature, they felt genuine and meaningful even. There was still so much to learn about Hanzo, but he thoroughly believed that Hanzo was not the sort to through around empty compliments. What need would he have to do any such thing?

“That looks good on you, too,” Hanzo added, voice smoother and softer now.

“What does?”

“You’re blushing.”

“I’m-!” Jesse began indignantly, though he couldn’t continue as he felt the heat rising through his cheeks to the tips of his ears. He let out a huff. “Now that’s just unfair.”

“What is?”

“Sayin’ stuff like that!”

“Like what?”

“This is entrapment!”

“I’m only saying the obvious,” Hanzo said, smirk nearly audible as Jesse buried his face in his hand. “Perhaps it is not obvious to you, but you are very attractive, and not only because of your outward appearance.”

“You’re gonna kill me, Hanzo, I’m gonna die right here right now and it’s all your fault with all these compliments.”

“Am I wrong?”

“You know what,” Jesse began, looking up with a sudden flash of determination in his eyes, “you’re not the only one who can pass out compliments! Have you looked in a mirror at all recently? Because for a centuries old, forest-dwelling hermit you sure are a sight for sore eyes, partner. I bet the real reason you hide out here is because if you go in town, everyone’s fallin’ all over themselves to get close to you. And you can take care of yourself and you’re self-sufficient. Nothin’ more attractive than a man who knows how to be truly independent while still bein’ able to interact with others.”

“Now you are just making fun of me,” Hanzo answered with a dismissive shake of his head.

“Am I?” Jesse quipped as he cocked his head to one side and gave Hanzo a satisfied grin. “Are you sure about that, Hanzo? 100%?”

“Are _you_ sure that you aren’t a demon?”

“Takes one to know one!”

Hanzo took a deep breath and recomposed himself, a level of seriousness settling back over his expression. He set his cup down, meeting Jesse’s gaze steadily.

“I have been alone for a very long time,” he said slowly.

“So have I,” Jesse replied firmly, levity dropping to match Hanzo’s tone. “But you don’t have to be alone. Not if you don’t want to be.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“How about we go out for dinner in town? My treat. Hell, if you don’t wanna deal with the people there, I can just grab some groceries and bring ‘em back here. I’m not a great cook, but I’m sure I can make somethin’ good enough for a first date.”

“First date?”

“Well I mean only if you want. I don’t wanna sound like I’m assumin’ too much.”

“I believe I would like that,” Hanzo said. “Very much,” he added after a few moments’ pause.

“Then it’s settled!” Jesse replied with a bright smile lighting up his eyes. “But we should probably save that for tomorrow, huh? It’s gotta be pretty late by now.”

“I am amazed that you are still awake. Most people would need to sleep after learning as much about themselves as you have.”

“What can I say? I enjoyed the company too much to feel tired.”

“Well regardless, you are right. It is late, and we both ought to rest if we are going into town tomorrow.”

“You’d really go there?”

“Usually? No. But I’ll make an exception for you.”

“Then I’ll make an exception for you,” Jesse said before leaning swiftly across the table, catching Hanzo’s cheek in his hand, and pulling him in for a fleeting kiss. “I don’t usually kiss on the first date, but damn if you haven’t been tempting me all night long.”

Hanzo blinked in surprise but did not pull away or show any hints of displeasure at all. Instead he took the hand cupping his cheek and pulled it down to brush a kiss across Jesse’s knuckles.

“I will restrain myself then, if you cannot,” he answered with a small grin. “Let me put away the tea, and then I’ll show you where you can sleep.”

“Sounds like a plan!”


End file.
